Breaking Cycles: Why You Keep Going In Circles

If comfort has started to feel like a cave, this conversation is your map out. We start with the raw pattern in Judges, sin, oppression, repentance, rest, and ask the hard question: why do we keep circling the same ground when we love God? The answer isn’t more noise or new routines; it’s training. We unpack how God leaves “giants” in our landscape to teach warfare, strengthen obedience, and grow in real spiritual authority. That means formation that looks like fasting, Scripture, worship, and boundaries—reps under the bar that build capacity to stand when the pressure rises.

Gideon’s story gives us a blueprint that cuts close to home: before you fight public battles, tear down private altars. We talk about the idols hiding in “culture” and “tradition,” how outrage becomes a substitute religion, and why every life carries a scent, either worship that draws God’s presence or smoke that attracts familiar oppression. Expect resistance, even from religious spaces that mix empire with faith. We choose the Kingdom Jesus named before Pilate, the kind that refuses to bow to power or panic and instead trains to love well, discern schemes, and walk in quiet authority.

If you’re tired of repeating the same fights, here’s a practical framework: daily bread in the Word, small acts of obedience, rhythms of fasting and prayer, honest heart checks for idols, and a choice to fight the right enemy. We share stories, Scripture, and simple tools to help you break loops, recover identity in Christ, and step into steady peace. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs courage, and leave a review with your biggest “altar” you’re ready to tear down. We’re praying with you.

Ready to dive deeper? 🎧 Join us on YouTube for the full video podcast where we explore faith, love, and relationships through a Christian lens. Whether married, single, or seeking spiritual growth, our episodes offer practical advice and profound insights to strengthen your walk with Jesus. Don’t forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell so you never miss a powerful episode. Let’s grow together in faith and purpose!

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Episode Transcript

Walter (00:00):
Welcome back to another episode of Stepping in Faith,
the podcast, where together weexplore the importance of having
a relationship with God and howthat relationship with God can
impact the relationship you havewith others.
I'm your host, Walter.
I'm joined here alongside mylovely wife.

Shanea (00:18):
Shanea.
What's wrong with you?

Walter (00:24):
I had a brain fart.

Shanea (00:26):
Okay.
You were trying to hide it?

Walter (00:28):
Yes.

Shanea (00:28):
You trying to hold it in?

Walter (00:29):
I was.

Shanea (00:33):
Okay.

Walter (00:34):
This is episode two.

Speaker 4 (00:37):
Yeah.

Walter (00:38):
We skipped last week, had some stuff going on, but
we're back.

Speaker 4 (00:41):
We are back.

Walter (00:42):
To God be the glory.
Um this is episode two.
I guess we don't officiallyknow what the name of this ep
this week's episode is.

Shanea (00:51):
No.
Not yet.
Still working on it.

Walter (00:56):
We will be discussing cycles this week.
Cycles, right?

Shanea (01:03):
Yeah, uh, yeah, I guess.
Breaking cycles, you know, umbreaking, tearing down idols,
noticing patterns.
So patterns and cycles, youknow, that occasionally you'll
go through.
Wondering why you keep goingthrough the same thing over and
over again.
So yeah.

Walter (01:26):
Well, let's dig in.
Um I prayed last time.

Shanea (01:30):
No, you didn't.

Walter (01:31):
Yes, I did.

Shanea (01:32):
No, you didn't.

Walter (01:33):
I prayed last time.

Shanea (01:36):
Oh.

Walter (01:37):
Exactly.

Shanea (01:38):
Did you?

Walter (01:38):
Yeah.

Shanea (01:39):
You prayed the opening episode?

Walter (01:42):
Yes.
I did.

Shanea (01:47):
Okay.
You sure this is a second thisis the second episode?
Or this is the third episode?

Walter (01:53):
Um, this might be the third episode.
Let me see.

Shanea (01:56):
Because if it's the third episode, then I definitely
prayed last time.

Walter (02:00):
I wanna say.
People help us.
Um bear with us.

Shanea (02:08):
It's been a long couple of uh this is the third episode.
Okay.

Walter (02:12):
This is episode three, everyone.

Shanea (02:14):
Okay, episode three.

Walter (02:16):
You did pray the last episode, then, because I I
prayed the first episode.

Shanea (02:19):
I'm on a tripping.

Walter (02:21):
This is episode three, so I will open us up in prayer.

Shanea (02:24):
Okay.

Walter (02:25):
Father God, we thank you for this evening.
We thank you, Father God, forkeeping us, Father, in the midst
of everything.
We pray, Father, that even aswe go into this week's episode,
that you will allow this toreach those you've called for to
reach.
Holy Spirit, we pray that youwill speak through us and make

(02:46):
yourself known.
We thank you for your guidance,for your wisdom, for your
understanding, for yourdirection.
We pray that your perfect willwill be carried out in every
listener's life, God.
We thank you even now in thename of Jesus.
We welcome you in.
We welcome your presence in.
Lord Jesus, we welcome you in.

(03:07):
Holy Spirit, we submit to youeven now in the name of Jesus,
we pray.
Amen.

Shanea (03:12):
Amen.

Walter (03:16):
Well, babe, I will pass the mic over to my lovely wife,
who will be leading this week'sepisode.

Shanea (03:24):
Why you gotta say that I'm leading?
Why we just can't have like aregular conversation that, you
know, I talk a little bit morethis time.

Walter (03:32):
Nah.
You've been put out into it.

Shanea (03:37):
I've been put out into it.

Walter (03:38):
To the deep end, as uh my brother Taylor would say.

Shanea (03:42):
Into the deep end.

Walter (03:43):
Yes.

Shanea (03:46):
There's a lot of deep end uh podcasts.

Walter (03:49):
I was referring to Taylor specifically.
You know, I love his podcast.

Shanea (03:53):
Taylor and LaCrae have uh similar.

Walter (03:56):
What's Taylor's last name?
Welch.
Taylor Welch was referring toTaylor Welch specifically.
I uh I have love in my heart.
I love LaCrae too, but I wasreferring to Taylor Welch.
Yeah.
Podcast.
Both our brothers in the faith.

Shanea (04:10):
Yes, absolutely.

Walter (04:12):
So we will be discussing.
Um sound like I got a lot ofhighs, but it's fine.
We will be discussing cycles.

Shanea (04:25):
Yes, we're gonna be discussing cycles.
We're gonna be discussing whyyou keep going in the same
circle over and over and overagain and wondering why God
isn't delivering you.

Walter (04:38):
Okay.
Why, how did you get this?

Shanea (04:42):
So what day was that?
Saturday or Sunday?
One day this week or last week.
God had me reading Judges.
He was like, read Judges 3.
And I was like, why?
And then after I read it, I waslike, oh, okay.

(05:03):
And then was it like a a daylater or that same day?
I'd read Judges six.
So we'll be in Judges three andsix today.
Okay.
So if you got your Bibles, getyour handy dandy handy dandy
notebooks by the video.

Walter (05:23):
You wanna be doing a lot of reading today?

Shanea (05:25):
Not a lot of reading.
No, not a lot of reading.
I it not a lot of reading.

Walter (05:30):
Okay.
So judges three?

Shanea (05:32):
Yeah, judges three, and I believe judges six.
Okay.
And then I'll just I'll notateall the scripture references in
the description box so that youguys can go back and listen or
go back and read.
Okay.
On your in your own spare time.

(05:54):
So basically, as I was readingJudges three, I noticed that um
God will leave your enemies orleave enemies in a territory,

(06:15):
right?
Not to necessarily destroy you,but to train you, to test your
obedience to him, and tobasically let's say mature you
or increase your spiritual rank,increase your rank in the

(06:37):
spirit, increase your increaseyour authority over these
territories, right?
So it's like his we aresoldiers for the Lord, right?
And you can't be a soldierunless you are going through
training.
So when you come to God andthen you're going through all

(06:59):
these things, you're like, God,dang, why do I keep going
through this over and overagain?
And it's almost like you keepgoing through the same process
over and over, or you keep goingand going through the same um,
I guess, cycle with people,places, things.
And you're like, why am I notbeing delivered?

(07:21):
And it's like, okay, well, youprobably just did not learn.

Walter (07:26):
Learn your lesson.

Shanea (07:28):
You didn't learn the lesson.
And so the enemy will keepcoming with you with things
until you finally overcome it.
So, like when I first came tothe faith, there were things
that the enemy would keepplaguing me with in my mind.
And I would get upset, I wouldget frustrated until the point

(07:49):
where, you know, babe, you'd belike, he gets you like this
every single time.
Every single time.
Until finally, I'm like, okay,I'm not doing this on war with
you.
I gotta kick you out.
I gotta kick you out.

unknown (08:05):
Yeah.

Shanea (08:06):
And so I want to start with Judges three, right?
And I'm gonna read one throughverses one through six.
Um, so we're in Judges three,verse one, NLT version, says,

(08:34):
these are the nations that theLord left in the land to test
those Israelites who had notexperienced the wars of Canaan.
He did this to teach warfare togenerations of Israelites who
had no experience in battle.
These are the nations, thePhilistines, those living under

(08:58):
the five Philistine rulers, allthe Canaanites, the Sidonians,
and the Hivites living in themountains of Lebanon from Mount
Baal Hermon to Lebohamath.
Those people were left to testthe Israelites, to see whether
they would obey the commands theLord had given to their

(09:21):
ancestors through Moses.
So the people of Israel livedamong the Canaanites, the
Hittites, the Amorites,Perizites, Hivatites, and
Jebusites, and they intermarriedwith them.
Israelite sons married theirdaughters, and Israelite
daughters were given in marriageto their sons, and the

(09:44):
Israelites served their gods.

Walter (09:50):
That alone.

Shanea (10:31):
Because they're available.
Like God allows you to do it.
And it's like not that Godallows you to do it.
It's it's because they're justbecause they're there doesn't
mean that you should.

Walter (10:44):
Right.

Shanea (10:44):
That's what I'm saying, is like he allowed for the
Canaanites, not the Canaanites,but the yeah, the Canaanites,
the Hittites, the Amorites, andthe Perizites.
And if you go back and look attheir history, you know, how
corrupt they were.
And he left them there in theland.
And it was up to you to decidethat you didn't want anything to

(11:04):
do with them and their gods.

Speaker 3 (11:06):
Yeah.

Shanea (11:08):
So when we're looking at relationships, just because
they're there, just because youcan see them, just because
they're available, doesn't meanthat you should.

Walter (11:16):
Well, I mean, this this is as old as God creating the
heaven and the earth creatingAdam and Eve.
When God created Adam and Eve,when you go back, it reads that
he put both the tree of life andthe tree of good and evil in
the same garden.
So he placed that tree thereand then told Adam, you're not

(11:37):
to eat from this tree.

Shanea (11:39):
This is very true.

Walter (11:41):
It's there for you.

Shanea (11:42):
This is very true.

Walter (11:43):
But you you're not to eat that.

Shanea (11:45):
It's a testing.
It's a testing, it's a trainingground.
Are you gonna really beobedient when it counts?
Yeah.
Are you gonna be obedient whenit counts?
Are you going to do what hesays do when he says to do it?
You know?
Because each, you know, uhlevel or ranking in the spirit

(12:07):
or your authority happens as youpossess the land, as you take
over new territories, as youdefeat new giants.
Just like in our military,right?
We have rankings.

Walter (12:22):
It grows your, it it grows your faith in God, which
is why it's so important.
It stretches that it stretchesthat faith muscle as you go
through.
I think we read that in one ofthe previous episodes when Paul
talked about how they werepressed on all sides, and they
didn't think that God was goingto save them, and God did come

(12:42):
and save them, and it taught himto rely on God even the more.

Shanea (12:46):
Yeah.
So yeah.
And so while God leaves thosegiants or those corrupt people
around you, it's not for you tojust like Sodom and Gomorrah was
right around.
And um, Lot was like, I'm justgonna go a little bit close to

(13:06):
Sodom and Gomorrah, but it endedup just pulling him in because
he was way too close.
Way too close.
Um, so he left all thesedestructive tribes in the land
with the Israelites to testtheir obedience.
And because they were there inthe land, they this is why we

(13:32):
have judges, they went throughthis cycle of they would commit
sin because it says right herethat they they intermarried,
right, and they worshiped andserved their gods.
The gods of the Canaanites, thegods of the Hittites, the

(13:54):
Amorites, the Perizzites.
It was not the God, the creatorof the heavens and the earth,
it was their gods.
So they sinned.
Then God would be like, Okay,I'm gonna let this king take
over, and you're gonna beoppressed.
You're gonna be oppressed for aseason, and then they would cry

(14:14):
out to God, and then God wouldbe like, Okay, I'll save you,
I'll send you a judge, I'll sendsomeone on my behalf to rescue
you.
And they would be deliveredfrom their oppressor, and they
would have go through a periodof rest, and then they would

(14:35):
just do it again.
They would repeat the cycleagain because God didn't remove
the the other tribes, He didn'tremove them, He didn't remove
the Canaanites, He didn't removethe Hittites, He didn't remove
the Amorites, they were stillthere, but you never learned
your lesson the first timebecause you got comfortable.

(14:57):
They got comfortable, right?
And I think that's one of theproblems that we have is that we
will do something wrong, we'llget oppressed, we're like, dang,
why is this happening to me?
And it's because you committeda sin.
And God is like, okay, you needmy help, I'm gonna help you.

(15:18):
And then he helps you, you getdelivered, and you're free, and
you have a little bit of rest,but you forget like where you
came from because you're stillaround like the same people.
You're still you're still outthere, the world is still there.
The world isn't going anywhere.
It's up to you to decidewhether you're going to interact

(15:43):
with the world around you, orare you gonna stay obedient to
God and stay in that in thatplace of rest to overcome?

Walter (15:52):
Well, I believe the thing is, um one of the key
things is when we were readingthis, each time, the the length
of oppression, it grew.
Right?
So that's also a reflection ofeach time the enemy comes back.
Jesus talked about, thescripture talks about how the
enemy comes back with sevenother demons.

(16:13):
Once that house has beencleaned and it has not been
occupied.
It's really important that weunderstand the importance of
when we are freed fromsomething, remaining freed from
it.

Speaker 4 (16:26):
Yeah.

Walter (16:26):
Because each time the enemy comes back, he comes back
seven times stronger.
And this is what weconsistently see with the
children of Israel.
God with freedom.
Like you said, they wouldforget.
The enemy would come back, hewould come back even stronger.
He would be they would beoppressed for an even longer
time.

Shanea (16:46):
They would be oppressed for a longer time, but then they
would also have a longer timeof rest.
It was like an equal kind ofsort of amount.
They would be oppressed formore years, and then they would
have rest for more years.
But in those resting, it's likethey forget because they've
gotten so comfortable.

(17:06):
And it's like you just can't becomfortable in the world.
No, you just can't get to apoint where it's like this
doesn't bother any anymore.
Like when you first came to thefaith, like you threw out all
your secular music, you didn'tdo, you didn't watch adult films
anymore, you didn't go to thehookah lounge, you didn't go to
the bars, you weren't drinking,you weren't doing any of that.

(17:29):
And then you get to this pointwhere maybe a year into it, two
years into it, you are back atthe bars because you're like,
oh, I'm saved, I'm sanctified.
It's not gonna bother me.
So the question I'm listeningto the music again, or I'm I'm
around listening to this music,it's not gonna bother me.

Walter (17:51):
So the question becomes then, and even with the example
of the children of Israel, areyou truly free?
Because if you're truly free,you never turn back, and that's
what Jesus would always telleveryone that he healed.
Many of them, what did healways say?
We've seen in the scripture, goand sin no more.
So, in part of going andsinning no more is turning away

(18:13):
from your behavior that you oncedid.

Shanea (18:16):
It's it's producing in you a fruit of the spirit, which
is self-control.
And that's one of the hardestthings that we as humans can do.

Walter (18:27):
But it's only by way of the spirit that it takes place.
And I think the challenge thatwe saw with the children of
Israel, and it's so interestingthat we fall into that, is that
they didn't have the Holy Spiritliving inside them.

Shanea (18:40):
No.

Walter (18:41):
So, truth be told, and I'm not trying to be hard on us,
if we do have the Holy Spiritliving inside us, we have no
excuse.

Speaker 3 (18:48):
Mm-hmm.

Walter (18:49):
Because the Holy Spirit is there, and the Bible says,
Paul said, that for theGentiles, they show they know
the law because the law becomeswritten on their heart.
The Holy Spirit bears witnessand have them and teach them the
law.
Okay, you shouldn't do this,you shouldn't do that.
So it's not like for those whohave the Holy Spirit, the Holy

(19:09):
Spirit isn't there saying, Hey,you don't need to do this, you
don't need to do that, you justdon't listen.
But it is still a reflection ofthe children of Israel not
listening.

Shanea (19:17):
Exactly.

Walter (19:18):
But it's even greater for you because you know you
have that helper.

Shanea (19:21):
Yeah.
But then they had God tellingthem, hey, you're not supposed
to do this.

Walter (19:25):
They did, but they didn't have the Holy Spirit
inside them.

Shanea (19:28):
No, they didn't.

Walter (19:29):
And that, you know, I'm not negating that they should
have listened.

Shanea (19:32):
Yeah.

Walter (19:33):
But I think it it it showcases for us is even
greater.
Like there's no excuse, right?
Because the prophets of the oldspoke of Jesus Christ and spoke
of him coming and spoke of whatwould take place, right?
And so the fact that you havethe Holy Spirit dwelling in you,
it should be even greater of anopportunity for you not to fall

(19:54):
into the uh fall into the cyclethat the children of Israel
fell into.

Speaker 4 (20:00):
Right.

Walter (20:03):
So where do we go from here?

Shanea (20:06):
I'm actually just I'm trying to see where we're going
from.
Because it's good.
I mean, it's it's it's a lot totake in, you know.
Um it's a lot to take in.

Walter (20:23):
And well, you talked about judges three and two, and
I think this is reallyimportant.

Shanea (20:30):
Um What do you mean judges?
Oh, what judges three and two?

Walter (20:33):
When it states here you don't send an untrained soldier
into battle.
And so God trained soldiers.
I said that?
Yes, it's here.

Shanea (20:42):
Where?

Walter (20:43):
Training ground theology.

Shanea (20:45):
Oh, okay, yes.

Walter (20:47):
And so um, bear with us.

Shanea (20:50):
Sorry, y'all.

Walter (20:51):
I think about, and I won't go into details, but even
the process that God had megoing through uh when we were
dealing with the stuff that wewere dealing with, prior to me
even knowing things that youwere going through, God took me
through a process.
I don't, I don't know why hetook me through the process, but
it was training ground.
And it was uncomfortable.
You know, that for me thatlooked like, you know, fasting,

(21:14):
living a fasted lifestyle, notwatching anything, him um, you
know, abstaining from TV, games,just worship music, praying,
word, worship music, prayer,work, worship music, prayer,
word.

Shanea (21:27):
Yeah.

Walter (21:27):
And just really listening to the father and
praying, praying, praying.

Shanea (21:30):
You were training your spirit.

Walter (21:32):
Yes.
And so it got to a point towhere I didn't know that.
I was just being obedient.
But when I was, when it wastime to help aid you and the
stuff that you were dealingwith, I was able to walk in that
with no fear.

Shanea (21:45):
Um Yeah, but you were increasing your your spiritual
ranking.

Walter (21:49):
Yes.

Shanea (21:49):
So, like if you would have like first came to the
faith that you tried to fight.
I would have got my body.
Just like um, who who was it?

Walter (22:00):
Um You're talking about when they uh Paul and them?

Shanea (22:04):
Yeah.

Walter (22:04):
Um what are their names?
I have to look and see.
I know what you're talkingabout.
When they said Paul, I know.

Shanea (22:10):
Right.

Walter (22:10):
Jesus, I know.

Shanea (22:11):
But why can't I remember that?

Walter (22:14):
Let me see.

Shanea (22:16):
Okay.
Um, yeah.
So when you first came to thefaith, God had you doing all
these things to train you up forbattle.
Because we are soldiers.
We war against not flesh andblood, but against rulers,
principalities, things you can'tsee in the natural.
So spiritually has to train us,right?

(22:39):
And so you have church leaders,you have people who've been in
church for 80 years, 50 years,and they are still a baby in
battle.

unknown (22:51):
Yeah.

Shanea (22:51):
They can't deliver people from their demons.
They got demons themselves.
They're dealing with anger,they're dealing with, you know,
suicidal thoughts, they'redealing with, you know, adult um
films, you know, they'redealing with self-pleasure,
they're dealing with all thesethings that they don't even
know.
They and they turn people away.

(23:12):
You've got people dealing withhomosexuality, and they can't
even come to the church becausethey don't know how to help
them.
And they don't know how to helpthem because they don't have
any authority in the spirit.
They don't have no spiritualranking to speak to those
demons, to speak to those rulersor those principalities or
those territories.

Walter (23:31):
And that's Acts 19.
It says, um, verse 13.
A group of Jews was travelingfrom town to town, casting out
evil spirits.
They tried to use, they triedto use the name of the Lord
Jesus in their incantations,saying, I command you in the

(23:52):
name of Jesus, whom Paulpreaches to come out.
Seven sons of Skeva, theleading priest, were doing this.

Shanea (24:02):
Seven sons of Skeva.

Walter (24:03):
Skeva.

Shanea (24:03):
Yeah.

Walter (24:04):
We're doing this.
But one time when they tried,one time when they tried it, the
evil spirit replied, I knowJesus and I know Paul, but who
are you?
Then the man with the evilspirit leaped on them,
overpowered them, and attackedthem with such violence that
they fled from the house nakedand battered.

Shanea (24:27):
Got their bind tora.

Walter (24:29):
This is why you can't go out trying to do stuff that
you're not in a position to do.
It's so important forrelationship and uh ranking in
the spirit, even though peopledon't like to hear it.
No, people don't like to hearit because they think, oh, I
come to God, I got, you know,God is giving you everything
that He's called for you tohave.
All of the giftings are there,but you still have to go through

(24:51):
the process, and we can'tnegate that the disciples walked
with Jesus for three years.
They did life with him day in,day out.
He told them to drop everythingthey had and follow him.

Shanea (25:02):
Yeah.

Walter (25:02):
That was part of them going through the process.

Shanea (25:04):
It's part of their training.

Walter (25:06):
Yes.

Shanea (25:07):
And like when I was reading Judges three and six, I
had this mental picture orvision of, you know, like a,
like a, like, you know, I losethe weightlift.
And so if I'm trying to get toa certain weight, or I'm trying
to get to a certain class if I'min competition or something

(25:29):
like that, right?
I have to train.
And the only way that I can getstronger or get to my weight is
I have to keep adding weight inorder to get stronger.
And so that's what God does.
It's like it's like, you know,in the Bible where it says he
won't put on nothing more on youthan you can bear.
He won't put on more you thanyou can bear.

(25:50):
It's not true.
Like he will put a whole bunchon you, but you can't do it in
your own strength, is what he'ssaying.
And so he will continue to keepputting weight on you to get
you stronger.
Because we're dealing withancient spirits, we're dealing
with spirits that have been heresince Adam and Eve.

(26:11):
The enemy.
Continue to keep puttingweight.
Once you get used to thatweight, guess what?
You're gonna have a little bitof rest.

(26:33):
And he's gonna do what?
Add some more weight.

unknown (26:36):
Yeah.

Shanea (26:36):
He's gonna add some more weight.
But guess what?
He's your spotter.
He's not gonna let you fall,he's not gonna let you stumble
at all.
But it's just it's knowing thatwhile you are in Christ and
Christ is in you, there is rest,there's peace, there's joy, but

(26:59):
there's there's weight.

Walter (27:02):
There's challenges.

Shanea (27:03):
Yes.

Walter (27:04):
I mean, it just comes with the territory.

Shanea (27:07):
Yes.

Walter (27:08):
It comes with the territory.

Shanea (27:10):
Yes.
It is.
But it's gonna, it's just gonnagrow you.
So when you're going throughthese trials, when you're going
through things where you feellike you can't take it anymore,
God's just like, give me onemore rep.
Give me one more rep, andyou're like, God, I'm gonna do
it.

Walter (27:29):
And it's just important to remember the enemy tactics
never change.
Like I know this, even as I wasgoing through the process, he
would come at me with the samestuff.

Shanea (27:39):
It's the same stuff.

Walter (27:40):
And so you learn, he'll come at you with the same stuff
until you overcome that.
And then when he sees you can'thandle that, or you can handle
that and it's not bothering you,he'll try a different approach,
but it's the same thing.
He keeps coming at you over andover again.
It's almost like he beapproaching it like we're
foolish.
Right?
He his tactics don't change.

Shanea (28:00):
Yeah.
He's really just like a bully.

Walter (28:02):
Yes.
Until you see that you, untilhe sees, okay, I can't get him
in this area.
Let me try another area.
And that's why the Bible saysJesus said that when the enemy
comes, he find he found nothingin him, or he will find nothing
in Jesus.

Speaker 4 (28:16):
Right.

Walter (28:17):
But the same thing goes with us.
We got to get to a point towhere the enemy can find nothing
in us that he can use againstus.

Speaker 4 (28:22):
Right.

Walter (28:23):
And that's by going through the process of allowing
God to train you, going throughthis process of allowing you.

Shanea (28:28):
So you can recognize, so that you can recognize, oh,
this isn't me.
This isn't you.
This is the enemy.

unknown (28:35):
Yeah.

Shanea (28:35):
So, like if we're me and my husband are having like a
disagreement or we get into anargument and we just cannot find
common ground at all.
At some point, I'm like, thisisn't me.
This isn't you.
This is the enemy.
We gotta stop.
We gotta stop.
And then it's it's gotteneasier because it's like, okay,

(28:58):
I see what you're doing.
You're trying to get me upset.
You're trying to get him upsetso we can stop doing what we
need to do.

Walter (29:05):
It's just understanding how the enemy works.
Um, and it's it's a learningprocess for all of us to really
gain an understanding of how theenemy attacks and know whether
it be through him trying to useother people or use your
children or use your job or useyour spouse or use family

(29:27):
members.

Shanea (29:28):
You will definitely use your children for sure.

Walter (29:30):
Yeah, it's just a reflection of saying, hey, this
is nothing but the enemy, andI'm not gonna allow you to
distract.
Anytime he does it, it's alwaysfor distraction.
But I won't say we'll move on.
Where are we at now?

Shanea (29:41):
We are right now at um tearing down what keeps you,
let's say, repeating thesecycles.
Not necessarily because you'rein the world, but there's
something in you that keeps youfrom.
Being obedient.

(30:02):
There's something in you thatkeeps you from wanting to stay
in that place of rest or stayingin that place of obedience.
And it could be in yourbloodline.
You know?
Um, it it is it's patterns thathave been passed down from
generation to generation.
And it becomes a tradition.

(30:25):
It becomes it becomes somethingthat is normal to you.
That should not be normal.
You know, because you see iteverywhere and you think that
it's okay.

Walter (30:40):
We talked about it becoming a part, like it it
being what happens is it createsthis worldview for you.
Yeah.
It's a part of your culture.

Shanea (30:48):
And it becomes like a safe space for you.
But that safe space is like acave.
That safe space is keeping youfrom the light.
You're literally keepingyourself in darkness because it
feels good, because it feelsnormal.
And I'll read this from Judges6.

(31:10):
Um, Judges 6, verse 1 says, TheIsraelites did evil in the
Lord's sight.
So the Lord handed them over tothe Midianites for seven years.
The Midianites were so cruelthat the Israelites made hiding
places for themselves in themountains, caves, and

(31:30):
strongholds.
Whenever the Israelites plantedtheir crops, martyrs from the
Midian, Amalek, and the peopleof the east would attack Israel,
camping in the land anddestroying crops as far away as
Gaza.
They left the Israelites withnothing to eat, taking all the
sheep, goats, cattle, anddonkeys.

(31:53):
These enemies' hordes, comingwith their livestock and tents,
were as thick as locusts.
They arrived on droves ofcamels too numerous to count,
and they stayed until the landwas stripped bare.
So Israel was reduced tostarvation by the Midianites.
Then Israelites cried out tothe Lord for help.

(32:15):
It's like you hold on to yourtradition and your culture so
much that you put yourself in acave and it becomes a
stronghold, and you can't getyourself out to the point where
you are starving yourself.
Starving yourself from God'slove, his redemption, his power,

(32:35):
his glory.
And then you're like, Man, I'mso hungry.
And it's like, you put yourselfin a cave.

Walter (32:43):
Yeah.
That's why Jesus came in thescripture that we gave before
when he said, My mother, myfather, and my brother,
essentially I'm paraphrasing,are those that does the will of
my father.
Jesus was saying that heforsake or he looked past his
culture and took upon a cultureof the kingdom of God.

(33:04):
And I and unfortunately,especially in this day and age,
it's challenging for us toforsake our culture.

Speaker 3 (33:12):
Yes.

Walter (33:13):
And take upon us the kingdom of God.

Speaker 4 (33:16):
It is.

Walter (33:17):
See ourselves as a part of the kingdom of God.
That is very challenging formany of us to do.

Shanea (33:24):
It's hard to forsake the culture because people will
they will try to tear you down.
They will literally try toalive you.

unknown (33:32):
Yeah.

Shanea (33:32):
They will make you feel bad about what you're doing.
Well, you start culture.
Because it's tradition.

Walter (33:38):
But it's demonic.

Shanea (33:39):
Because it's what's normal.

Walter (33:41):
It's demonic.
And unfortunately, it's even inthe church where the church
will get mad at you because youforsake the culture and you say
that no, I choose Jesus over theculture.
And that's my culture now, thekingdom of God.
So yeah.

Shanea (33:59):
So from there, I want to read Judges 6 25.
And it says, that night theLord said to Gideon, so get God
sent Gideon to help them.
To help the Israelites fromMidian.

(34:20):
And that night the Lord said toGideon, Take the second bull
from your father's herd, the onethat is seven years old, pull
down your father's altar toBile, and cut down the
asherapole standing beside it.
Then build an altar to the Lordyour God here on this hilltop
sanctuary, laying the stonescarefully, sacrifice the bull as

(34:44):
a burnt offering on the altar,using as fuel the wood of the
asherapole you cut down.
So Gideon took ten of hisservants and did as the Lord
commanded, but he did it atnight because he was afraid of
the other members of hisfather's household and the
people of the town.
Early the next morning, as thepeople of the town began to

(35:08):
stir, someone discovered thatthe altar of Baal had been
broken down and that a sheriffbeside it had been cut down.
In their place a new altar hadbeen built, and on it were the
remains of the bull that wassacrificed.
And the people said to oneanother, Who did this?
And after asking around, theylearned that it was Gideon.

(35:31):
And they basically toldGideon's father to bring out
their son so that they canunalive him.
Because he must be destroyedfor destroying the temple, the
altar of Baal.

Walter (35:45):
Their idol.

Shanea (35:46):
Yes, their out their idol.
He cut down their idol and theywere upset for cutting down the
altar of Baal and for cuttingdown the sheriff pole.
But Gideon's father was like,why?
Why would you defend an idol?
It doesn't speak.
And why would you defendsomething when you are literally

(36:10):
starving?
You are starving.
You are in caves.
You are hiding.
What's the problem?
And they were like, uh theywere his father was like, What

(36:31):
is the problem?
You are suffering right now.
Why can't you just let this go?

Walter (36:38):
It'd be challenging, and and that I I believe that'd be
part of the stronghold.
It'd be a stronghold on theirmind.
Uh there's a veil there wherepeople cannot see the things
that they've created idols outof.
And that you can create idols.

(37:00):
And we have to be challenging.
I mean we have to be carefulwith idols.
And I I believe it's just aconsistent heart check that we
have to do where we're askingGod to remove those idols or
help us to be mindful that wedon't idolize anything or
anyone.

Shanea (37:18):
Even if it looks like it's something that everyone
does.

Walter (37:22):
Exactly.
So for example, um even forexample, in America, is this
push to uh state that asbelievers we're supposed to be
political.
But that's not biblical.
People can always findscriptures to justify what they

(37:46):
do.

Speaker 4 (37:46):
Yeah.

Walter (37:47):
But I think one of the greatest scriptures is when
Jesus was speaking to uh thePharisees and he told them to
give to Caesar what belongs toCaesar and give to God what
belongs to God.

Speaker 4 (37:59):
Right.

Walter (38:00):
And he placed a separation between the church
and the empire.
And so um it's really importantto understand that the church
should not be combined with theempire.
That's not to say that youdon't have instances.
There's a difference betweenyou being uh a Daniel or someone

(38:23):
of that nature where youprovide guidance based on what
thus says the Lord.
But if we look at Daniel and welook at Sharach, Meshach, and
Abendigo, they were never loyalto King Nebuchadnezzar.

Speaker 4 (38:35):
Yeah.

Walter (38:36):
There was their loyalty was always with God.

Speaker 4 (38:38):
Yeah.

Walter (38:39):
And then when we we look at Daniel specifically, he
never wanted anything from KingNebuchadnezzar.
And then we also have to diginto this, right?
Because people who use Danielfor an example, truth be told,
if we want to be technical,Daniel, uh, Sharach, Meshach,
and Abindnego, they were slaves.

Speaker 4 (38:59):
Yeah.

Walter (39:00):
They were captured and they were brought to Babylon.
And they were forced to learnthe ways of the Babylonians.
And so I think it's reallyimportant once again, there's a
separation between the two.

Shanea (39:17):
I think, um, like we were talking about earlier
today, it's you having to checkyour heart posture because the
people of the town were soupset.
They were so upset with Gideon.

Walter (39:28):
It's crazy when you want to unalive him for doing the
right thing that you alreadyknew is the right thing.
You're not supposed to beworshiping Bao.
You're not supposed to have analtar to bow.
You're supposed to beworshiping God.

Speaker 4 (39:40):
Yeah.

Walter (39:41):
But you wanted to unalive him because he tore down
your idol.

Shanea (39:45):
Yes.

Walter (39:46):
When your idol was taking you straight down.

Shanea (39:50):
Yeah.
And so it's checking your heartposture.
When you get so upset oversomething, when someone's asking
you to remove this or not dothis, or they're telling you,
hey, I believe this is wrong.
You're like, no, it's not.
I'm going to take your headoff.

Walter (40:06):
That's dangerous.

Shanea (40:08):
You get so mad.
And we've saw a lot of youguys.
You get bubbling to the pointwhere you're like, you want to
cuss them out.
You want them to, you want harmdone to them.
Like, you need to check yourheart.

Walter (40:20):
And people, please be mindful because we see that a
lot now.
And it's very unfortunate.
It's extremely unfortunate.
It's very dangerous.
Um at the end of the day,ultimately, if you have that,
that perspective towardsanything, whether it be the
music you listen to, whether itbe politics, whether it be you

(40:44):
watching football games or, youknow, basketball games or
whatever may have you, yourcars, your career, whatever,
your pastor, the leaders in yourlife, I would check your heart
because that kind of really, forme, it showcases that you've
made an idol out of that.

Shanea (41:05):
No, absolutely.
And even when I first came tothe faith, God was like, no, you
can't talk to your family.
Like, why?
It it really like teed me off.
I was so angry that I couldn'ttalk to my friends, couldn't
talk to my family.
But then it's like, okay, youhad to get me away so that I

(41:27):
could recognize that I idolizefamily.
I put them before everything.

Walter (41:34):
And it's really dangerous when you do that
because what happens, um,everyone, you'll begin to take
on learned behaviors.
And so that becomes challengingbecause I know we talked about
afterwards, right?
That I had a dream about you,and I won't go into the details,
but I had a dream prior aboutyou, and you had taken upon

(41:57):
learned behaviors from people.
And so, and then for me, forexample, when God took me
through the process, it'sbecause I idolized my friends in
such a way where they became myGod because I would go to them
for advice.

Speaker 2 (42:10):
Yeah.

Walter (42:10):
I would go to them for guidance.
And now that I've gone throughthe process, I go to God first.

Speaker 3 (42:16):
Yeah.

Walter (42:17):
It's almost like it's second nature for me.
If something is happening, toimmediately go to go to the
father in prayer and say,Father, I need guidance on this.
I need I need wisdom on how toapproach this.
This is what I'm going through.
This is what I'm dealing with.

Shanea (42:30):
Yeah.
Or even when people are like, Iknow for me, when people say
something, it's like I take itin, and it's now that becomes my
identity.
And so, in a way, they are likean idol because I'm taking what
they're saying and I'm applyingit to myself and saying, okay,
well, then I am what you say Iam.

(42:51):
And they're not God.

Walter (42:53):
And you got to be really careful, everyone, because a
lot of times the enemy will usethose closest to you to tear you
down.
And you begin to find yourselftaking upon an identity of all
of these negative things thatpeople have said about you
that's just not true.
And this goes back, and I knowyou had to go through this, and
we talked about this.
My wife had to go through thefact of Psalms 139, is what I

(43:16):
would always speak to you thatyou're fearfully and wonderfully
made.
You know?
And so I would say, because Iknow that there's a lot of
people that deal with that, it'sreally important to get to the
point of understanding who doesGod say I am.

Speaker 4 (43:29):
Yeah.

Walter (43:30):
Because I'm not what people say I am.
We're not who people say weare.
We're who God says we are.

And I talked to you about this: the importance of finding your (43:37):
undefined
identity in Christ.
Because the minute you findyour identity in man, they will
always tear you down.
It's just the reality of whatit is.
They will always tear you down.

Speaker 2 (43:53):
Yeah.

Walter (43:54):
Especially if they're not submitted to the Holy
Spirit.
Especially, I don't care who itis, family, friends, leaders,
even pastors, becauseunfortunately, there are pastors
out there that's not submittedto the Holy Spirit.
And church hurt is serious andit's real.
And you have pastors out herewho don't know God who's tearing

(44:15):
people down.

Speaker 4 (44:16):
Yeah.

Walter (44:18):
You know?
And so, um, I don't know how wegot there, but yeah.

Shanea (44:22):
No, it's no, it it it's it's you know, recognizing how
how is this cycle coming to be?
Am I idolizing somethingsomewhere where I keep allowing
this to happen to me?
Am I placing myself in aposition where I'm idolizing a
person, a place, or a thing, athing, and I'm putting myself

(44:47):
back in the same position.
Why do I keep attracting thesame people?
Why do I keep attracting thesame thing?
Why is my money looking funnyevery time this happens or that
happens?
It's a certain cycle.
There's some type of idol therethat needs to be dealt with.

Walter (45:06):
You know.

Shanea (45:08):
What?

Walter (45:11):
So when we look at uh echo the train, when we look at
Jesus, right?
Jesus gave his life on thecross.
You know, he sacrificed hislife for us, he became the
ultimate sacrifice, and that isallowed.
Yeah, he became the ultimatesacrifice for us, right?

(45:35):
And so with that being thecase, there whenever you would
give up burnt offerings, right?
What when when they burntofferings, it was a scent that
it would let off.
What was coming to me is thatyour idols have a scent that it

(45:57):
let off.

Shanea (45:58):
Ooh, that's good.

Walter (45:59):
You know?

Speaker 4 (45:59):
Yeah.

Walter (46:00):
So your idols have a scent that it let off, and that
scent attracts whatever isconnected to that said idol.

Speaker 4 (46:07):
Yeah.

Walter (46:10):
So whatever that idol is a representation of, you wonder
why you're consistently goingthrough.
And you talked about why arethese things attracted to me?
Why are these type of peopleattracted to me?
Why am I consistently goingthrough this?
Because of the scent that thatidol is putting up as you offer
those sacrifices on that altar.

Shanea (46:26):
Yes.
And you have to figure out whatthose sacrifices are.
What are those sacrifices?
Is it not listening to God?
Is it not going to is it goingto this space when I'm not
supposed to be?

Walter (46:38):
And I ain't come up with that.
That was just something thatwas given to me by the Holy
Spirit.
I I'm listening I'm smart, butI ain't that smart.

Shanea (46:45):
No, no.
That's that's good.
It's good because we'resupposed to be the sacrifice.
We're supposed to be a living,walking, breathing sacrifice.
So everything that I do carriesa scent.

Walter (46:57):
Yes.
So there you have it.
Where are we at now?

Shanea (47:04):
Everything I do carries a scent.
Yes.
Thank you, Holy Spirit.
So that's good.
That's good.
That's good.
That's good.
And people are just like, oh, Ican watch whatever I want to
watch.
I can go wherever I want to go,do whatever I want to do.

Walter (47:22):
It's not the case.
It's not.
And it's going to be soimportant in the coming days
that we buckle down and beingcommitted to Jesus, being
committed to the Father, beingsubmitted to the Holy Spirit
because of what's to come.
And this is not to instillfear.
This is really just a word ofum caution and a word of warning

(47:49):
that you have to find youreverything in Jesus because
there is a difference betweenthe church of Bao and the Church
of God.
Or followers of Bao andfollowers of Christ.

Shanea (48:12):
And I think Right, and then you have Babylon and
Empire, and you have the kingdomof God.

Walter (48:18):
Yes.
And I think we have to bereally careful because for a lot
of us, when we think of Bao, wethink of like, you know,
something outright, the devil,or like just satanic.
Heavy.
You know, people, for example,people hate Disney, you know, or
whatever.
Or for whatever reason, peoplehate Netflix and stuff like

(48:39):
that.
And so they're like, oh,that's, you know, demonic,
right?

Speaker 4 (48:43):
Yeah.

Walter (48:44):
But I think the challenge is that we don't
realize that the enemy hasalready infiltrated the church.
And he's been there for sometime.
He's been there for centuries,right?

Speaker 4 (48:56):
Yeah.

Walter (48:57):
And he never left.

Speaker 4 (48:58):
Yeah.

Walter (48:59):
The church never uprooted those things that was
rooted or that was placed there,that was planted in the church.
And so when I'm speaking ofBao, I'm speaking about the fact
that Bao is in the church.

Speaker 4 (49:12):
Yeah.

Walter (49:13):
Bao is in the church, right?
And then you have those whoactually are followers of
Christ.
Right?
And it it and we talk aboutthis all the time.
It is my firm belief,especially here in America, that
when we think of persecution,right?
I believe persecution iscoming.

(49:34):
We already see it.
And it's going to come from thechurch.

Shanea (49:38):
Yes.

Walter (49:39):
Against the followers of Christ.

Shanea (49:41):
Yes, because it's much easier that way.

Walter (49:43):
And we already see it happening as we speak.

Shanea (49:46):
Because unbelievers, people in the world are not
going to persecute you becauseyou follow Christ.

Walter (49:53):
They don't care.

Shanea (49:54):
It's the type of Christ that you follow.
And it's understanding.

Walter (50:00):
That within different areas, right?

Shanea (50:02):
Mm-hmm.

Walter (50:02):
It looks different.
Yeah.
There is a religion in China.
China has its religion that itrecognizes.
Right.
So even when you look at thepersecution of the church in
China, the followers of Christ,right?
It's still coming from thechurch.
It's a different type ofchurch.
It's a different type ofreligion, but it's still coming
from that, right?

(50:23):
Like when you think of, and wejust look at it from this
perspective, even many times inthe scripture, when you would
read, it would be the Phariseesand them that will be going and
getting Rome involved.

Shanea (50:36):
Yeah.

Walter (50:36):
The Romans involved, right?
Yeah.
To persecute.
To persecute the church.

Shanea (50:40):
So it's like even modern day, you would have the church
going to these political arenasto persecute the real believers.

Speaker 3 (50:50):
Yes.

Shanea (50:51):
Because they don't agree with their doctrine.

Walter (50:54):
They don't agree with their own way of life.

Shanea (50:58):
So persecution is coming.
It's going to come from thegovernment to the Christians,
the real believers.
Because it's being backed bythe document.

Walter (51:06):
But it will be but it will be done by way of the
church.

Shanea (51:09):
Yeah.

Walter (51:10):
And we're going to give you, we can give you example
after example in the Bible ofthat, right?
Because when you think aboutit, and we're going off on a
tangent again, but when youthink about it's so interesting,
right?
Caesar, or not Caesar, Pilate,sorry.
Pilate did not want to crucifyJesus.

Shanea (51:29):
Right.

Walter (51:30):
He didn't want to be involved in it.

Shanea (51:31):
But who made him do it?

Walter (51:33):
The church.

unknown (51:34):
The church.

Walter (51:34):
And it was to the point that Pilate understood it, even
so.
He did, he did beat him.

Shanea (51:39):
Yeah.

Walter (51:40):
But he wouldn't have even done that.
It's just like they waspushing.

unknown (51:42):
Yeah.

Shanea (51:43):
Right?

Walter (51:43):
He's like, I'm just saying.

Shanea (51:44):
It's just it's part of the law.

Walter (51:45):
Yeah.

Shanea (51:46):
They accuse him.
It's something that they did toeverybody.

Walter (51:49):
But he was like, I don't see anything wrong with what
he's doing.
Right.
Right.
You know, Jesus made it clear.
I'm I have nothing to do withyour kingdom.
I'm talking about the kingdomof heaven.
Okay.
So even in that, that goesagainst people who believe that
Jesus should be or they shouldpoliticize the church.
Jesus made it clear when he hehad a moment, right?

(52:09):
When he was sitting there withPilate, when he could have told
him, Yes, I'm trying toinfiltrate the kingdom.
I'm trying to infiltrate thekingdom of Rome.
He said, No, I'm not concernedwith the kingdom of Rome.

Speaker 4 (52:20):
Right.

Walter (52:20):
I'm concerned with the kingdom of God.

Speaker 4 (52:22):
Right.

Walter (52:22):
Pilate stated, I see nothing wrong.

Speaker 4 (52:24):
Right.

Walter (52:25):
But if this is what you want to do, after he flogged him
and everything, you have adecision to make.
You can either let Jesus go oryou can let this murderer go.

Speaker 4 (52:36):
Right.

Walter (52:36):
The church chose the murderer.

Speaker 4 (52:38):
Right.

Walter (52:38):
Interesting.
And with that being the case,Pilate was like he washed his
hands with it because he wantednothing to do with what they did
to Jesus.
That's in itself a wholedifferent situation.
Let me let that sink in again.
The church.
The church chose the murdererover the son of God.

Shanea (53:04):
Yes.

Walter (53:07):
I'll just leave this here.
To this day, the church isstill choosing murderers.
Murderers over the son of God.
They're still choosingsomething that goes completely
contrary over the son of God.

Speaker 4 (53:23):
Yeah.

Walter (53:25):
And that's just the reality of what it is.
So, and we will stand firm onletting you know even in this
day and age, Jesus is on Jesus'side.
And we are on Jesus' side.

Shanea (53:44):
We are believers.

Walter (53:45):
We are followers of Christ.

Shanea (53:47):
And that's it.

Walter (53:48):
We are not connected to the Empire.
And we will never submit tobeing connected to the Empire.

Shanea (53:56):
No.

Walter (53:57):
Simple as that.

Shanea (53:59):
We have to remember that as a believer, we are in the
world but not of the world.
The world is always going to bethere.
And so even when we have theseum preachers and pastors and you
know evangelicals andbelievers, not really believers,
but Christians.

Walter (54:19):
Religious people.

Shanea (54:20):
Religious people.
Um bringing up things thatpeople are doing in the world,
like referencing Bad Bunny inhis conf in his in his concert,
or referencing other stars, orreferencing what's going on on
television or media.
And it's like we don't have toparticipate.

Walter (54:44):
Don't even know really who Bad Bunny is.

Shanea (54:47):
We don't have to participate.
And it's like the enemy wantsyou to talk about it.
He wants you to be upset aboutit.
Because it's like you're you'restaying, it's like he's keeping
you in a cycle.
A cycle of hatred.
A cycle that's Bad Bunny couldbecome a believer tomorrow if

(55:10):
God wanted to.
If God wanted to deliver thatman, he would deliver him.

Walter (55:14):
I think the question becomes like, what is the
message that God is giving you?
You know, what is the message?
Whenever you saw Jesus, uh,first of all, we know Jesus
didn't really debate.
People would say, yes, he did.
No, the Pharisees would come atcome against Jesus and he would
correct them.
Right.
But he never stood long enoughfor it to be a debate.

(55:34):
He would say what he would sayand then he would leave.
Right?
Um, other than that, Jesus hada message that he brought forth.

Speaker 3 (55:41):
Yeah.

Walter (55:42):
Jesus came with a mission.
So what's your message andwhat's your mission?
And I'll say this all the time.
For those of you that see thesechannels out here who gossip,
who comes up against peopleconsistently, who always have
something negative to say aboutsomeone who's always attacking
different people, that is not amessage.
That is demonic.
That is gossip, right?

(56:02):
What is your message?
What is the message that God isgiving you?
What is the message?
What is the message that God isgiving you to spread forth to
the people, to bring them toChrist, right?
And at the end of the day,ultimately, I never get
surprised when the world doeswhat the world does because I

(56:23):
expect the world to do what theydo.

Shanea (56:25):
Exactly.

Walter (56:26):
So why are we surprised when the world operates the way
that they operate?
They are not followers ofChrist.
So stop attempting to geteverybody to operate the way
that you operate when they don'tknow God.

Shanea (56:38):
Right.
And I think it's you being um,I think it's people just being
comfortable in the world.

Walter (56:45):
Yes.

Shanea (56:46):
You're being comfortable in the world.

Walter (56:47):
You want to shape the world, you know.
Everybody wants the world to umthey want to intermarry the
world with God.

Shanea (56:58):
And we can't.
We just see this in judges.
The world's always going to bethere.
God's done that for a reason.

Walter (57:05):
No matter what.

Shanea (57:06):
So that he can sift out.

unknown (57:08):
Yes.

Shanea (57:08):
So he can sift you.

unknown (57:11):
Yeah.

Shanea (57:12):
Who's gonna be obedient, who's not, who's getting into
heaven, and who's not.
How would he, how else would hebe able to judge us if there is
no testing, if there is notrial, is there, if there is no
challenges.
But we see right here in Judgeswhere the Israelites were
literally intermarrying.
God's people were intermarryingwith the world around them.

(57:36):
And God's like, no, you gottacut them off.
They're there, but I'm nottelling you to go with them.
I'm letting you know thatthey're there.
And you need to be able tofight them and say, hey, no, I'm
standing my ground.
You stay over there, I'm gonnastay over here.

Walter (57:53):
I'm not gonna change what you do unless you want to
come to know who Jesus is.

Speaker 4 (57:58):
Yes.

Walter (57:59):
But other than that, it's really a situation where
I'm telling you, it's such afreedom where you have these
religious people who are sohard-pressed at every single
movie Disney dropped.
They're so hard-pressed at whatNetflix is doing.
They're so hard-pressed.

Shanea (58:16):
Yes, I'm canceling my Netflix because they have homo.
All of this stuff in the sexualvideos and shows and be free.

Walter (58:25):
Like, be free.
When I tell you it is such anamazing place to be, but you
like, you know what?
I don't care.

Shanea (58:32):
Because I don't have to watch it.

Walter (58:34):
I don't care.
I don't have to watch it.
It's not like it's somethingthat is marketed to Christians.
I don't know what you like.
What do you want me?
I don't why do you even knowthat?
Why do you know who they who'sgonna be at the Super Bowl?
Because the problem is, if wewant to get honest, many
Christians idolize the SuperBowl.

(58:54):
The Super Bowl was not createdfor you, the world created the
Super Bowl.

unknown (58:59):
Right.

Shanea (58:59):
You know, like I said, you're creating spaces for you
to be in to feel safe so thatyou don't get criticized, so you
don't get, you know, canceledor whatever.
But at the same time, you'rekeeping yourself in a cage.

Walter (59:15):
Let it go.
Ask God to help you to whereyou can be free, to where when
you see that stuff, you'll belike, all right, cool.
You see that something is beingposted that you don't agree
with, all right, bet.
Well, my children won't watchthat.
I'll I'll make sure they don'twatch that.

Shanea (59:30):
Right.
Or when you see someone, orwhen someone is, because we've
been going through some stuff,right?
And you recognize a person forwho they are.
And you don't get mad anymoreabout it.

Walter (59:44):
You but you just accepted us.
Jesus knew that Judas was goingto betray him.
So even before Judas betrayedthem, Jesus said to the father,
I kept everyone except the oneyou meant for destruction.

Shanea (59:55):
Yeah.

Walter (59:56):
You gotta understand that sometimes there's people
that's just meant fordestruction.
Nothing you can let it go.
And then you also have tounderstand you got to extend
grace because at one point intime you didn't have it all
together either.

Speaker 4 (01:00:09):
Yeah.

Walter (01:00:10):
At one point in time, you was out there doing stuff
too.
And just because you can seeand recognize the sin on people
because they wear their sindepending on what their sin is,
it doesn't make you any better.
Because even now, as followersof Christ, when you're judging
them, that's still sin.

Shanea (01:00:27):
Yes.

Walter (01:00:28):
When you're gossiping about what's taking place, when
you are doing whatever you'restruggling with that you can
think that you can hide, but youcan't hide from God.
You're no better.
God calls us to move in love.
I can love you yet stilldisagree with the lifestyle that
you live, yet still love you.
And love is saying, hey, if youwant, I have something here

(01:00:52):
that I've gained that couldbring freedom to you.
And it's being able to be in aplace that Jesus was with the
rich young ruler.
That when the rich young rulersaid, I don't want it, let him
walk away.

Shanea (01:01:05):
Right.
And you're not fighting afterit.

Walter (01:01:08):
No, you're not.

Shanea (01:01:09):
You're not trying to prove anything.

Walter (01:01:11):
No, you're not.

Shanea (01:01:12):
But it comes with training.

Walter (01:01:14):
Yes.

Shanea (01:01:15):
It comes with training.
Otherwise, you'll be in thatsame cycle.
Oh my gosh, why they don't loveme?
Oh my gosh, why they don't, whythey don't like me?
Why they keep doing this to me?
And it's like, you better startfighting.
You better start fighting back.
Fighting the devil.
Fighting those thoughts in yourhead.
Because God didn't put themthere.

Walter (01:01:34):
That's why you need to know your word.
You need to know what God saysabout you.
And you need to stand on that,stand firm on it, please.
Because once again, we are in atime where we're really going
to have to have an understandingof who Jesus is.
And even when I was prayingearly and I told you about this,
babe, let this get let thisbecome a revelation, right?

(01:01:57):
And it is something that hit meearlier today.
God is the creator of theuniverse.
Right?
And this really touched me.
And I pray that you get thisand and and really hear this.
Like this resonates with thespirit of God and your spirit
inside.

(01:02:18):
God created the heavens and theearth.
Right?
If God created the heavens andthe earth, there is nothing or
no one that is greater or biggerthan God.
A song that we like to listento, that the kids like to listen
to.
We serve a big, big God.
Big God.

(01:02:38):
Right?
It's such a simple word, right?
A simple phrase, but it's sopowerful because when you
understand that, and when thatrevelation hits your spirit, you
realize that there is nothingthat anyone can do.
That's why, and I go and saythis all the time because it was
such a powerful moment, that'swhy Shabbat, Meshach, and

(01:03:00):
Abendigo was able to stand up toKing Nebuchadnezzar.
Because they understood who Godwas.

Shanea (01:03:06):
They have a very big God.

Walter (01:03:08):
That even if you throw me in the fire, that God still,
I believe he will save me.
But if he don't, I still won'tbow.
I can perish, and I still won'tbow to you because I still
understand who God is.
I can't.

Shanea (01:03:25):
Because he's the creator.

Walter (01:03:27):
Because he created all of this.

Shanea (01:03:28):
He gives me life.
He can take my breath.

Walter (01:03:31):
All of this.

Shanea (01:03:32):
If I die, it's because he allowed it to happen.
He took, he, he is the taker.

Walter (01:03:40):
And when you now, some people can go early, but yes.

Shanea (01:03:44):
Oh, no.
Yes, but it's still because heallowed it.
Because there's some thingsthat you know you need to
recognize.
You some people lose battlesbecause they haven't fought.
They don't have, they don'thave a spiritual ranking.
And so when you're in battle,battles that you can't see, you
will get your mind whooped.

Walter (01:04:04):
And we gotta get ready to wrap this up.
So we talked about a lottonight.

Speaker 4 (01:04:10):
Yeah.

Walter (01:04:11):
What do you want to leave everyone with?

Shanea (01:04:14):
Um sorry.
Um I guess I have this littleframework, I guess, on how you
can get through your trainingwhen you are going through
things that you don'tunderstand.
It's literally just staying inyour word, building up your

(01:04:37):
spiritual muscle, taking yourprotein shakes, which is your
your daily word, your dailybread, your daily protein is the
word.
Even if it's a verse, even ifit's a scripture, you start
small.
If you start yawning, you tellyour body to go and come into
alignment with the word of God.
Because your flesh is gonnacontinue to is gonna always

(01:04:59):
fight in war against the spirit.

Walter (01:05:01):
And it's as simple as asking God to help you.
Yes.
Asking the Holy Spirit to helpyou.
Yes.

Shanea (01:05:08):
And and then just recognizing your idols.
Ask God to reveal to you whatis in your heart.
Ask God to reveal to you youridols.
And like I said before, if it'ssomething that you get super
upset about, you gotta checkyour heart posture.
If you get super offended, yougotta check your heart posture.

(01:05:29):
Why am I this way?
Don't just accept it.
Sit with it and really ask God,why, why am I so upset?
Why does this bother me somuch?
And I think those are I thinkthose are key takeaway points
that people can use.

Walter (01:05:49):
Well, everyone, we appreciate you.
We pray that this has been ablessing to you.
Uh keep us in your prayers.
And we pray that God willcontinue the great work he's
doing in every one of yourlives.
We're grateful and thankful forthe community that God has
allowed us to build here.
And anything else you want toadd, right?

Shanea (01:06:12):
No, just get rid of everything that you don't need.
Tear down those altars.
Be a giddy be a Gideon.

Walter (01:06:22):
There you have it.

Shanea (01:06:23):
That's all.
Just read judges.
You'll get it.

Walter (01:06:26):
All right.
Well, until next week.

Shanea (01:06:28):
We'll see you guys.

Walter (01:06:29):
We will see you all later.
Be blessed.
Bye.

Shanea (01:06:33):
Bye.